Safety-crank for automobiles.



C. E. GLENN.

SAFETY CRANK FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATlONHLED APR. 1. I916.

Patented July 17, 1917.

amuemtoz CHHMBEKS EGLENN "r in.

CHAMBERS GLENN, or TERRA ALTA, wnsr VIRGINIA.

SAFETY-CRANK ron AUTOMOBILES.

reserve;

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented JulyiY, 1917.

Application filed April 1, 1916. Serial No. 88,385.

' the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention is a safety crank designed more particularly to beused upon engines mounted on avehicle. 1

One object of the invention is to provide means whereby the dangerof a handle reversing when the engine back-fires, will be eliminated. i I

Another object of the invention isto provide means wherebythe handle will be securely held against rotation in one direction.

A practical form of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal section;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a'ratohet wheel showing the shaft and the sleeve and the key.

The shaft in this invention is made in two separable sections comprising a front section 4 provided at one end with a left-handed threaded stem 5 cooperating with the other section '6. This section 6 is provided with a socket having corresponding threads.

The outer end of section 4 is provided with a stem 10 which has righthand screw The outer end portion of this threads.

- stem carries no threads and is preferably square to engage with a square socket in the starting handle 14. A nut 11 is provided for the stem 10.

The shaft section 4 has cut therein a keyway 8 which extends in a longitudinal di rection over the major portion of the section. Surrounding this section 4 is a sleeve or quill having a corresponding key-way or slot through which a key 13 may be inserted to engage with the slot 8.

Slidable on this sleeve or quill 9 is a ratchet wheel 12 in which is cut a slot to correspond with the key-13. This ratchet wheel is adapted to have rotary movement in one direction only but is slidable the full length of the slot 8 and to prevent this ratchet wheel 12 from rotating in an undesired direction. a pawl it engages with the teeth of the ratchet wheel. and to maintain this pawl in engagement withthese teeth, a resilient member or spring 17 is provided. This pawl and this spring may be attached to thevehicle in any convenient manner by suitable means.

In order to impart a rotary movement to the engine shaft and to disconnect itself when operating at its normal speed in the desired direction, as after starting the en gine, suitable means may be provided. This means may consist of ratchet teeth 18 in the section 6 to engage with suitable teeth 19 formed on the end or circumference of the engine shaft.

To assemble this device, the two sections of the shaft are screwed together, then the sleeve 9 isput on the front sectionuntil it abuts against the shoulder of the rear section. Then the jam nut is set up tight against the sleeve 9. The inner end of this sleeve forms a shoulder it will be seen which prevents the shaft section 6 from becoming jammed or screwing up too tightly on the screw threads 5. When the shaft section 4 is screwed into the shaft section 6, then the inner end of the sleeve bears squarely against the outer end of the section 6. The

jam nut 11 is then set up tight against the other end of the sleeve '9, thus securing a frictional engagement between both ends of the sleeve 9 and the shaft section 6 and jam nut 11. This permits such a secure engagement between the shaft section 4 and the shaft section 6 that the shaft sections 4 and 6 will rotate together upon a rotation of the handle 14 in a direction to crank the engine but if the engine reverses, the shaft section 6 immediately unscrews from the shaft sec tion 4 and positively forces the shaft section 4 outward through the sleeve, the shaft section 6 remaining in engagement with the crank shaft of the engine. It will be noted that the detachment between the shaft section 6 and the section 4 is immediate upon a reversal of the engine and this is of great importance as in many devices of this character there is not an immediate disengagement but the crank handle is not disengaged from the crank shaft of the engine until the cranking device has been shifted outward far enough to disengage the teeth of the crank device from the teeth of the engine shaft. While this takes only a very short period of time, yet it is sufi'lcient to administer a severe blow to the operatcrl '1. Means for cranking internal combustion engines comprising :a shaft section screw-threaded at one end, a member having screw-threaded engagement with the shaft section and having inclined clutch teeth on its extremity, the teeth being inclined in a direction reverse to the "direction of the screw threads, a crank on the shaft section, and means for preventing therota tion of the shaft section in a direction reverse to the direction of effective driving rotation of said member,

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a handle, of a plurality of shaft sections, one of said sections being provided With threaded stems, another of said sections being provided with a socket adapted to engage with one of said stems, a sleeve surrounding one of said sections, a ratchet wheel slid-able on said sleeve, and means cooperating" with the ratchet wheel to limit the movement of said wheel in one direction.

3. In a device of the character described,

' the combination with a handle, of a plurality of shaft sections adapted to be connected together by screw means, one of said sect ons being provided with a key-way and key therein, a slotted sleeve surrounding Said section, a ratchet wheel provided with a key-way slid-able on said sleeve, means to prevent rotary movement of said latter shaft section and the ratchet wheel in one direction, another of said sections adapted to cotiperate with an engine shaft, the two sections adapted to rotate said engine shaft in one direction by said handle.

4. A device of the character described comprising two separable shaft sections hav-' ingscrew-threaded engagement with each other, one of said sections having clutch teeth adapted to engage with the clutchteeth on an engine'shaft, the other of said sections being provided with a longitudinal key-way, a sleeve surroimding said section and formed with a longitudinally extending slot, a ratchet wheel mounted upon said sleeve, a key engaging the ratchet wheel with the sleeve andwith the slot of the shaft section, a nut having. screw-threaded engagement with the buter end of the shaft section and holding said sleeve in place, and a crank mounted on the shaft section exterior to the nut.

5. Means for cranking internal combustion e ines including two alining shaft sections aving screw-threaded engagement with each other whereby to secure relative unitary rotative movement upon a rotation in one direction, a crank handle upon one of the sections, and means preventing the reverse rotation of the last named section when the other section is reversely rotated but permitting longitudinal movement thereof whereby the last named section will unscrew from the other section upon said reverse rotation;

6. Means for cranking internal combattion engines including two alin-ing shaft sections, one of said shaft sections having a reduced screw-threaded portion, the other shaft section having a bore internally screw threaded to receive said reduced portion, said screw threaded engagement of the two shaft sections permitting unitary rot/(dive movement of'the sections upon a rotation in one direction, a crank handle mounted upon the section having the reduced screw threaded portion, and means preventing reverse rotation of the last named section when the other section is rotated, but permitting out-- ward movement thereof whereby one section will unscrew from the other section upon said reverse rotation.

7. Means for cranking internal combustion engines including manually operable means for transmitting rotation to the en'- gine shaft, said means consisting of two members having screw threaded engagement with each other, there being a shoulder on one of said memberslimiting the longitudinal movement of the members relative to each other in one direction, said. shoulder when it abuts against the other men'ibcr causing "a unitary rotation of both members in one direction, the shoulder permitting an independent rotation of the members in relatively opposite directions, said movement in opposite directions causing a relati-velougitudinal axial movement of the members, and means for preventing the reverse rotation of that member having said shoulder.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHAMBERS E. GLEN N,

WVitnesses J. B.- CAssEoAr, C. E. TREMBLY,

Copies '0: this, patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioneiof Patents, Washington', 0. 

